DPI Analyzer: Free Online Mouse DPI Test

A Mouse DPI Analyzer estimates the DPI (dots per inch) of your mouse by comparing two things: a physical distance you move the mouse, and the distance the on-screen cursor moves in response. Because the browser can only see the cursor's reported position in CSS pixels, the number the analyzer produces is an estimate — a practical check, not a certified hardware reading.

DPI itself describes how many counts the mouse sensor reports for every inch of physical travel. A mouse set to 800 DPI reports roughly 800 counts per inch; a mouse at 1600 DPI reports roughly twice as many, so the cursor moves about twice as far for the same hand motion.

This page is both a Mouse DPI test and a Mouse DPI checker. Use it to:

• Estimate the real DPI of a mouse when the manufacturer software is unavailable.
• Verify whether your DPI button is actually switching profiles.
• Compare two mice that are supposed to be set to the same DPI.
• Check whether OS-level acceleration is skewing your measurements.

The calculation is deliberately simple: estimated DPI ≈ cursor pixels ÷ physical inches moved. The browser reports cursor position in CSS pixels — it never sees the sensor's internal counts.

Physical movement → browser cursor movement → estimated DPI.

When you run several trials, the analyzer also computes:

• Average DPI — arithmetic mean of the trial results.
• Median DPI — middle value; less sensitive to outliers than the mean.
• Minimum / Maximum — extremes across your trials.
• Range — max minus min.
• Standard deviation — spread of the trials around the mean.
• Coefficient of variation (CV) — SD ÷ mean × 100. Lower is more consistent.

Wondering how to test mouse DPI without installing software? This free DPI tester estimates your mouse DPI from a measured physical movement. Follow the steps below, then repeat several trials to compare results. Browser measurements are estimates, not a direct reading of your mouse sensor.

Set up a ruler, mark a start and end point, then move the mouse in a straight line.

1. Prepare a physical reference. Place a ruler on your desk and pick a comfortable distance such as 10 cm (about 3.94 in) or 4 in.
2. Set the unit and distance in the analyzer above (cm, mm or in).
3. Disable mouse acceleration. On Windows, turn off Enhance Pointer Precision. macOS has no simple on/off switch for mouse acceleration, so keep Tracking speed at the same setting for every trial and move at a steady pace. With acceleration off, hand movement and cursor movement have a 1:1 relationship.
4. Press Start trial, place the mouse at the start of the ruler, then move it in a straight line along the chosen distance at a steady speed.
5. Press Finish trial. The analyzer records the net cursor displacement and calculates an estimated DPI for that trial.
6. Repeat 3–5 times. The statistics panel shows average, median, range and a consistency score. Trials that agree closely indicate a more reliable estimate.

DPI (dots per inch) comes from printer terminology and became the consumer-facing term for mice. CPI (counts per inch) is the more precise engineering term: it describes how many discrete counts the sensor emits per inch of physical travel.

Unless you are reading a sensor datasheet, treating DPI and CPI as equivalent will not cause a practical problem. The Mouse DPI Analyzer produces a figure that matches both conventions.

DPI and sensitivity both affect how far the cursor or camera moves, but they act at different layers:

• DPI is a hardware setting on the mouse. It controls how many counts the sensor emits per inch moved.
• Sensitivity is a software multiplier applied on top of those counts — by the operating system, by a game, or by both.

The combined effect is eDPI (effective DPI): eDPI = mouse DPI × in-game sensitivity. Two setups with very different DPI values can produce identical on-screen motion if their sensitivities compensate. Use the eDPI Calculator to compare, and the cm/360 Calculator to translate into a physical turn distance.

At 2× sensitivity, the same physical movement produces twice the cursor travel.

There is no universally "best" gaming DPI. What works depends on desk space, monitor resolution, the game, and how you aim.

What matters is the resulting eDPI and cm/360, not the raw DPI number. Use the eDPI Calculator and cm/360 Calculator to compare setups.

• For a single 1080p or 1440p display, 800–1600 DPI usually feels balanced.
• On 4K or multi-monitor setups, 1600–2400 DPI reduces hand travel.
• For photo, video or CAD work, lower DPI with high sensitivity control is preferable.

On the mouse itself

Many gaming mice have a dedicated DPI button. Pressing it cycles through stored profiles.

Windows 10 / 11

Windows does not expose hardware DPI. The Pointer speed slider and Enhance Pointer Precision checkbox are software multipliers, not DPI. Use the manufacturer's software (Logitech G HUB, Razer Synapse, SteelSeries GG, etc.) to change the hardware DPI. Disable Enhance Pointer Precision for consistent measurements.

macOS

macOS does not display hardware DPI. The Tracking speed slider is a software multiplier that includes an acceleration curve. Use the manufacturer's software for the exact value.

Linux

Some mice expose DPI through libratbag / piper. Mice with on-board DPI profiles retain their last setting regardless of OS.

Learn how DPI, CPI, sensitivity, eDPI and cm/360 work together, then return to the analyzer to test your own setup. These guides are written specifically for mouse users and gamers. Browse all guides.

The analyzer estimates DPI by comparing a known physical mouse movement with the pointer movement reported by your browser. It does not read the sensor's internal DPI register, so the result should be treated as a practical estimate rather than a certified hardware value.

For repeatable testing: use a ruler or marked mousepad, disable pointer acceleration where possible, use a longer straight movement, keep the same display and browser conditions, and avoid lifting the mouse during a trial.

A browser-based DPI analyzer measures cursor movement after your operating system has processed the mouse input. These factors change the result:

• Mouse acceleration. With Windows Enhance pointer precision on, cursor distance depends on movement speed. Turn it off for testing.
• Pointer speed. Keep Windows pointer speed at its default step (10 of 20) so movement stays 1:1.
• Display scaling and browser zoom. Keep both unchanged between trials and between devices you compare.
• Distance and technique. Longer, straight, steady movements without lifting the mouse give more repeatable numbers.
• Active DPI stage. Some mice change DPI with a button or profile, so confirm the stage in use.

For the exact configured value, check your mouse software. See how to check mouse DPI for a full walkthrough, or Windows and Mac specifics.

If you want to go deeper — how DPI interacts with polling rate, why the same DPI can feel different across games — the full Mouse DPI Guide covers it. It pairs with the analyzer above and the Mouse DPI FAQ.

The Mouse DPI Analyzer gives you a practical way to estimate and check your mouse DPI without installing anything. It will not replace the manufacturer's software for a certified hardware reading — no browser tool can — but it will tell you, quickly, whether the mouse is behaving the way you expect.